reductions in emissions from rail transport and at stations (2)

Florence Eshalomi: What is the current level of the provision of renewable energy to TfL controlled rail services? What level do you want there to be in 2030?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) currently procures energy through a standard grid tariff on the Crown Commercial Services framework. At present over 35 per cent of energy supplied is renewable.
I set the ambition in the London Environment Strategy and my Transport Strategy for all TfL-controlled rail services to be zero carbon by 2030 so I am aiming for 100 per cent of TfL’s grid-supplied energy to come from renewable sources at that time.

zero emission zones

Florence Eshalomi: Please update me on your plans to implement local zero emission zones in town centres from 2020?

The Mayor: Working with boroughs to implement local zero emissions zones from 2020 is a key commitment in my Transport Strategy and Transport for London (TfL) is already working with interested boroughs.
In September of this year, TfL published guidance for boroughs on implementing local zero emission zones. A number of schemes are beginning to emerge including Hackney and Islington’s Ultra Low Emission Vehicle Streets scheme in Shoreditch, as well as local zero emission zones being planned in the City of London.
TfL is also working on tools to support boroughs interested in introducing local zero emission zones as part of an EU Horizon 2020 project, ReVeAL, in which they are partnered with the City of London. I welcome efforts from boroughs to consider zero emission zones either as stand-alone schemes or as part of wider programmes such as Liveable Neighbourhoods and will continue to work with them on this important initiative as we work toward my commitment to a zero carbon transport network by 2050.

Bus Routes serving Schools (1)

Keith Prince: How many bus routes serving schools have been cancelled since May 2016?

The Mayor: Many of London’s bus routes serve schools. Transport for London cannot separately identify bus routes used by school pupils and staff. However, please refer to my response to Mayor’s Question 2019/20387 for information on London wide route withdrawals.
Five school-specific routes have been withdrawn since May 2016. However, two of these were due to a school relocating and, in the same period, two new school routes have been introduced.

London Overground

Caroline Pidgeon: What consideration has TfL given to the London Overground service between Surrey Quays and Wandsworth Road running two trains per hour to Victoria? Is this something that can be considered in 2022 as part of the next proposed timetable change?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) previously considered this option and determined more people would be disadvantaged than would benefit, and therefore could not recommend moving forward with the idea. This is because diverting two of the four trains per hour that currently serve Clapham Junction would result in a significant reduction in service for those 119,000 trips per week on this now well-established route. Six trains per hour could possibly operate on this route in future but, even in this scenario, diverting two trains per hour would negatively affect customers to / from Clapham Junction by creating an uneven interval service that varies between every ten and twenty minutes over each hour, creating longer waiting times and greater crowding on these busy trains.
When such a service existed prior to 2012, operated every thirty minutes by a two-carriage train, usage was low. To illustrate this, passenger numbers using Clapham High Street have increased from 242,000 in 2007 / 2008 to 1,982,000 a decade later following the switch of services from Victoria to Clapham Junction. Wandsworth Road shows a similar increase, from 139,000 to 803,000 over the same decade.
Currently, customers travelling to Victoria have a variety of options. These include changing at Clapham Junction, from where there are up to 26 trains per hour to Victoria, or interchange onto the Northern line services from Clapham North, taking advantage of the simple cross-platform interchange at Stockwell onto the Victoria line. The Victoria Line now operates 36 trains per hour for each full three-hour peak in the morning and afternoon. There are also several bus options.

BBC London's Inside Out investigation into fraudulent qualification being obtained by Private Hire Drivers (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: In light of BBC London’s Inside Out investigation showing fraudulent qualifications‎ being used to secure private hire licences in London when do you believe TfL’s investigation and action plan to address this fraudulent activity will be completed by and published? Will the remit of the investigation include examining bringing all tests within the direct remit of TfL?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor's Question2019/20195.

Disparity between NIMI Reports & KSIs reported by TfL (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: Further to your response to Question 2019/17345, you stated: “That the main cause of NIMs was due to collisions with pedestrians, which caused 36 NIMIs”. A review of TfL’s bus safety data shows 58 bus collisions with pedestrians which resulted in KSIs. Can you explain why TfL reported 58 KSIs from bus collisions involving pedestrians, but only 36 NIMIs were produced by the bus operators?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor’s Question 2019/19596.

Disparity between NIMI Reports & KSIs reported by TfL (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: In your response to Question 2019/17345 you report that bus operators only filed 144 NIMI (Notification into a Major Investigation) reports in 2018 when an analysis of TfL’s bus safety data for the same period shows 756 KSI resulting from bus safety incidents. Can you explain this huge difference?

The Mayor: As I explained in my response to Mayor’s Question 2019/17334, the Notification and Investigation of Major Incidents (NIMI) procedure is a systematic approach to identifying and sharing lessons from the most serious incidents on the bus network.
The NIMI process is used for major incidents, such as those where there are fatalities or life-threatening, life-changing or multiple injuries. Therefore, not all incidents categorised as KSIs by the Police go through the process. However, all incidents are investigated by bus operators, regardless of their severity. Bus operators have their own procedures for investigating incidents which do not fall under the NIMI process, and these are reviewed by Transport for London (TfL) as part of the Bus Assurance Programme, whereby TfL visits every bus operator quarterly to review their safety management systems.
TfL also monitors all reported collisions, injuries and deaths on the bus network, publishes a wide range of safety data on its website, and uses this data to identify measures to help improve safety across its network such as the development of the Bus Safety Standard.

Electric, hybrid and ICE vehicles

Leonie Cooper: How much has take-up of electric, hybrid and ICE vehicles changed in London in the last ten years? Please provide annual data on ownership and new purchases by Borough.

The Mayor: The DfT publish the most comprehensive statistics for vehicle ownership by local authority area. This is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/all-vehicles-veh01. Sheet veh0132 has data on ultra-low emission vehicles by borough or local authority area. Sheet veh0105 provides data on the total number of ICE vehicles in each borough.
The data shows, for example, that between quarter 4 2011 and quarter 2 2019, ownership of ultra low emissions vehicles (battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles) grew significantly - from 1,243 to 13,335 in inner London boroughs and from 1,015 to 17,322 in outer London boroughs.

Go Ultra Low City Scheme

Leonie Cooper: How many Boroughs have bid for the final £4m Go Ultra Low City Scheme funding? When will the successful recipients be announced?

The Mayor: Thirty London boroughs have bid for the Go Ultra Low City Scheme Round 2 funding (£4 million). The Go Ultra Low City Scheme Board intends to confirm funding allocations by the end of the year, however, this may be affected by restrictions in the pre-election period, which are currently being reviewed. In the meantime, charge points continue to be installed as part of Phase One of the programme.

Bakerloo Line extension (3)

Caroline Pidgeon: TfL is currently advertising 11 public exhibitions relating to the Bakerloo Line extension, yet despite it including the proposal to convert the Hayes line to London Underground south of Lewisham there are no advertised public exhibitions being held south of Lewisham. Will TfL ensure that as part of its consultation there are public exhibitions held in such locations as Catford, lower Sydendham, New Beckenham, Clock House, Elmers End, Eden Park, West Wickham and Hayes?

The Mayor: Along with the 11 exhibitions currently listed on TfL’s website, further public exhibitions in the boroughs of Lewisham and Bromley (along the route of the Hayes line) have been organised and will be advertised on the consultation website shortly.

Bus Routes serving Schools

Keith Prince: How many bus routes serving schools have had their frequency reduced since May 2016?

The Mayor: Due to the high number of schools across London, many of London’s bus routes serve schools. Transport for London cannot separately identify bus routes used by school pupils and staff. However, please refer to my response to Mayor’s Question 2019/20388 for information on London-wide frequency changes.
Two school-specific services have had frequency reductions since May 2016 to match changing demand.

Sex offences 2

Susan Hall: For each of the years Nov 16 to Oct 17, Nov 17 to Oct 18 and Nov 18 to Oct 19, please can you provide the number of times people have been reported for masturbating on the TFL buses?

The Mayor: The offences below (categorised as bus-related crime sexual offences), have either occurred on a bus, whilst the victim was waiting for a bus, or when a victim was followed after using the bus network.
Nov 16 to Oct 17
Nov 17 to Oct 18
Nov 18 to Sep 19
Count of recorded bus-related sexual offences where the suspect was masturbating
52
44
45
Transport for London (TfL) continues its important work with police partners to tackle sexual offences on the public transport network. Through Project Guardian, TfL is working to target offenders and encourage the reporting of unwelcome sexual behaviour.

Follow-Up to Question 2019/12312

Keith Prince: In relation to his response to question 2019/12312, does the Mayor agree that any future decrease in the number of licensed taxi drivers would inevitably lead to fewer vehicles being driven?

The Mayor: The number of licenses issued by Transport for London is published here: www.tfl.gov.uk/info-for/taxis-and-private-hire/licensing/licensing-infor... and is updated weekly. We have seen a small decrease in both the number of licensed taxi drivers and vehicles over the last decade.

Healthy Streets at stations

Caroline Russell: What is the Transport for London (TfL) policy on provision of crossing facilities at stations, and how many stations do not have zebra or signalised crossings at their exit?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) aims to provide crossings outside stations in line with, or at least adjacent to, the location of entrances and exits. TfL’s policy requires crossings to be wide enough to provide a safe and comfortable place for pedestrians to cross.
TfL’s policy also ensures that all crossings are accessible. This includes the provision of drop kerbs and blister paving. TfL also requires the ‘green man’ time to be long enough for all pedestrians to clear the crossing, especially pedestrians who are disabled, older, or children.
TfL’s data indicates 66 per cent of stations have a form of signal-controlled crossing within 100m of the station entrance. This does not include zebra crossings.

Learning from New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission regulation

Caroline Russell: I recently met with Meera Joshi, the former chair of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission. The Commission in New York has successfully used data-driven regulation to manage vehicle fleets and usage, enforce fair pay for drivers, and promote street safety. Will you investigate the adoption of a data-driven regulation model for private hire and taxis in London?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) regularly speaks with Meera Joshi and her former colleagues at the New York Taxi & Limousine Commission.
These conversations are useful to share best practice and experiences of regulating a variety of services. However, the legislative and regulatory regimes in London and New York differ greatly.

Tube noise [6]

Andrew Dismore: Are you introducing speed restrictions on lines in areas with significant tube noise? If so, what are the speed limits you are introducing, and where are they being introduced?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is committed to tackling the issue of Tube noise. Despite best efforts, in some cases TfL are unable to reduce noise as much as they would hope. In these instances, implementing a Night Tube speed restriction may be appropriate. TfL has developed criteria to assess the appropriateness of potential speed restrictions on a case-by-case basis, and this includes the requirement that all other options have been exhausted.
Tube noise is an extremely complex issue and it is not always the case that a lower speed limit will result in lower noise levels and this will not be an appropriate response to all noise complaints. Different signaling systems on different lines mean that speed restrictions cannot be implemented in the same way across the network and a truly case-by-case approach is needed. Clearly, the use of speed restrictions also needs to be carefully balanced against providing a level of service that London Underground customers reasonably expect. I understand that TfL recently wrote to you with an update, but please be assured that TfL will continue to look closely at this issue.

Bus Collisions from 2005

Keith Prince: Further to your response from 2019/12307, can you provide me with the same information from FY 2005/6 to 2014/15?

The Mayor: Between 2009/10 and 2014/15, there were 141,899 collisions involving London buses reported to Transport for London (TfL) by bus operators. A breakdown by financial year is provided below.
TfL is not able to provide a consistent update going back further than 2009/10 due to changes in its IRIS safety system. The data includes all reported collisions, including incidents which have not resulted in personal injury and incidents that may or may not have been reported to the police.
Financial Year
Collisions
2009/10
24,646
2010/11
23,871
2011/12
23,561
2012/13
22,224
2013/14
22,945
2014/15
24,652
TfL changed the way it sub-categorises its data in October 2014, and so cannot provide the same breakdown by collision type requested for the period prior to that. The below table shows the data held in IRIS from that date:
Collision With
2014/15
Cyclist
221
Motorbike
91
Person
457
Moving vehicle
10,556
Stationary vehicle
4,268
Obstruction
189
Bridge
7
Width/height restriction
13
Tree
377
Animal
21
Other structures
2,870
Street furniture
0
Grand Total
19,070
Personal injury road traffic collisions are also reported to Transport for London by the police in accordance with national Department for Transport (DfT) STATS20 instructions https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/230596/stats20-2011.pdf. Collisions involving a bus or coach were reported by the police as a single category between 2005/09 and 2014/15, in accordance with DfT instructions. These are shown on the table below.
Financial Year
Personal Injury Collisions
2005/06
2,186
2006/07
1,911
2007/08
1,657
2008/ 09
1,854
2009/10
2,016
2010/11
1,949
2011/12
2,074
2012/13
1,845
2013/14
1,966
2014/15
2,072

Car scrappage scheme

Andrew Dismore: Your recent announcement of a limited car scrappage scheme for those in receipt of benefits is welcome, but will you monitor the uptake of the scheme, and if there are fewer applications than expected, will you consider broadening the remit or increasing the amount paid out to individual applicants?

The Mayor: I am pleased to see early interest in the scheme and yes, Transport for London will continue to monitor application levels. The scheme is intended to support low income and disabled individuals in preparation for ULEZ expansion in October 2021. Therefore, it is anticipated that applications may be spread over time as people think about how the expansion will affect them and consider what action they will take and when.
Of course, I have put this scheme in place despite no funding from Government. Even though Londoners are paying hundreds of millions of pounds in Vehicle Excise Duty every year only a tiny fraction of this money is then spent in the capital. We need the new Government to follow London’s lead by supporting a national vehicle renewal fund that would broaden our remit and help even more motorists to ditch their polluting cars.

Terminating HS2 at Old Oak Common (2)

Florence Eshalomi: What is the estimated cost of a) the HS2 line from Old Oak Common to Euston and b) the works to Euston Station?

The Mayor: HS2 is a project being delivered by HS2 Limited on behalf of the Department for Transport (DfT) and so the estimated costs for individual elements of the programme are held by DfT rather than the Greater London Authority or Transport for London.

Transport Decarbonisation Plan (2)

Florence Eshalomi: The plan is intended to achieve net zero emissions across every single mode of transport. What targets, if any, do you have to achieve net zero emissions across every single mode of transport in London? Please provide specific targets for each mode separately and please provide dates for when you expect which mode will become net zero emissions.

The Mayor: I set my ambition for zero emission and zero carbon transport in the London Environment Strategy (LES) and Mayor’s Transport Strategy (MTS), including 80 per cent of all trips in London to be made on foot, by cycle or using public transport by 2041 and all road transport in London to be zero emission by 2050 contributing to a zero carbon city.
Figures 15 and 16 in the MTS set out the targets to transition to zero emission road transport - all newly registered cars and light goods vehicles driven in London to be zero emission from 2030, all newly registered heavy vehicles driven in London to be zero emission by 2040, all taxis and private hire vehicles to be zero emission capable by 2033, all TfL buses to be zero emission by 2037 and all road transport to be zero emission by 2050.
In addition, all TfL-controlled rail services to be zero carbon by 2030, with 100 per cent of TfL’s grid-supplied energy to come from renewable sources.

clean up the bus fleet (3)

Florence Eshalomi: You have said that all TfL buses will meet the Euro VI diesel standard for NOx and PM by 2020. How many buses are currently in the TfL fleet and how many of them meet the Euro VI diesel standard for NOx and PM?

The Mayor: Transport for London’s (TfL) most recent figures show there are around 9,100 buses in the fleet. Of these, 7,900 (just over 85 per cent) meet or exceed the Euro VI standard for oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). TfL remains on course to raise the remainder to this standard by October 2020.

IA 17780 and the December 2017 Audit and Assurance Committees Internal Audit Report

Keith Prince: Further to your response to Question 2019/8958, in Appendix 1 of the Audit and Assurance Internal Audit Quarter 2 Report 2017/18 published on 14 December 2017 (http://content.tfl.gov.uk/aac-20171214-part-1-item05-internal-audit-q2-r...) why was IA 17780 "Management of Fatigue in Tram Operations Limited (TOL)" recorded as “Consultancy” and “No Conclusion" and not “Requires Improvement’?

The Mayor: IA report 17780 “Management of Fatigue in Tram Operations Limited (TOL)” was classified as “Consultancy” and “No Conclusion” because that was the correct classification. As I have indicated in previous answers, no evidence or recommendations were deleted from the Internal Audit Report into the Management of Fatigue in Tram Operations Limited (IA17 780). There were revisions and some reordering of the draft for accuracy, but the evidence and recommendations were not changed. They were clearly set out in the final audit report.

KSI on London’s Strategic Roads

Florence Eshalomi: Please provide details on the number of people killed or seriously injured on London’s Strategic Road Network for every year since 2005. Please provide details on what the 2005-9 baseline for London is?

The Mayor: The table below shows the number of people killed or seriously injured on the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN) and Highways Agency (HA) roads in London. This shows that the number of people killed or seriously injured has fallen by 35 per cent against the back-estimated 2005-09 baseline.
Personal injury road traffic collisions are reported to Transport for London by the police in accordance with national STATS20 instructions and assigned to the TLRN, Highways Agency and borough road network.
Year
TLRN and HA roads
2005*
1,997
2006*
2,007
2007*
1,896
2008*
1,778
2009*
1,712
2010*
1,725
2011*
1,607
2012*
1,684
2013*
1,337
2014*
1,213
2015*
1,110
2016*
1,034
2017
1,130
2018
1,224
2005-09 baseline*
1,878
Asterisks (*) indicate where the number of serious casualties are back-estimated to reflect changes in the reporting of injury severity by the police and the introduction of online self reporting. These figures are back-estimates of the number of casualties that would have been reported by the police using an injury-defined rather than a severity-defined system. Further detail on the back-estimation process is available in the “Casualties in Greater London during 2018” factsheet at https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/road-safety

Night-Rider fare

Andrew Boff: What is your estimate for the cost of providing commuters with a single ‘Night-Rider’ fare, as proposed by the Royal College of Nursing, that would allow night users to move between buses, tube, train, DLR or tram in a single fare, modelled on the current fares for the tube?

The Mayor: I recognise that cost can be a barrier to travel, which is why Transport for London’s comprehensive range of concessions is an important investment made as part of providing affordable travel for Londoners. Initiatives such as the freeze on TfL fares and the introduction of new ticketing options such as the Hopper fare have shown that I am committed to ensuring that people can move around London whoever they are, wherever they work, and whatever their circumstances.
While I have no plans to introduce a ‘Night-Rider’ fare at this time, I am committed to making London work for all, at all times of the day and night. That’s why I asked the Night Time Commission to help realise my vision for a 24-hour city and why I was so pleased to respond to their recommendations with positive action. This included setting up a Late-Night Transport Working Group to ensure transport meets the needs of London’s night workers.

Junk Food Ban Cost

Andrew Boff: Now that more time has passed can you provide an update on 2019/12291, regarding the estimated cost of the junk food ban?

The Mayor: The level of demand and amount of advertising spend generated from the TfL advertising estate fluctuates year on year. It is influenced by many external factors including seasonality, individual brand advertising budget changes and marketing approaches for particular products, as well as wider economic conditions.
The income that Transport for London (TfL) receives from its advertising estate remains stable. In the first quarter of this financial year (the first full quarter since the implementation of the HFSS policy), TfL’s advertising income was £33 million – up £1 million compared to the first quarter of last year.

Electric vehicle charging (3)

Shaun Bailey: What are your plans to work with local boroughs to expedite the installation of electric vehicle charging points across London?

The Mayor: I am already working with boroughs on the installation of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure across the city. This includes support via the Go Ultra Low City Scheme (GULCS) funded by central Government as well as support for the delivery of rapid charge points through TfL’s Rapids programme. Boroughs are also able to deliver EV charge points through Local Implementation Plan funding from TfL, as well as programmes such as Liveable Neighbourhoods, Neighbourhoods of the Future and my Air Quality Fund.
In June of this year, the EV Infrastructure Delivery Plan was published as the main output of my EV Taskforce. A key deliverable from this will be TfL’s Electric Vehicle Charge Point Installation Guidance, to be published shortly. This will provide boroughs, and others, with guidance on how to install new charge points making the process for installation clearer and helping to speed up delivery of new infrastructure. TfL and GLA officers are supporting London Councils who have committed to establish a new pan-London EV Infrastructure Coordination Function to continue, and build on, the work of the GULCS programme next year.

Hammersmith Bridge (1)

Leonie Cooper: How will you ensure that plans taken forward for the Hammersmith Bridge minimise carbon and air pollution impacts?

The Mayor: I want to see the bridge open as soon as possible. Its closure is having a significant impact on people’s daily lives and on their ability to use public transport in the local area. Minimising carbon emissions and cleaning up London’s toxic air can only be achieved through encouraging more public transport use and making sure those who choose to travel by private vehicle do so in the cleanest vehicles. I have been delighted by the initial impacts of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in central London, with 13,500 fewer polluting cars being driven into the zone daily and 77 per cent of vehicles in the zone now meeting the clean emissions standards. In 2021, ULEZ will expand to encompass the entirety of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and the northern parts of London Borough of Richmond including Barnes and reducing harmful emissions Londonwide.

Sexual assaults on the tube

Shaun Bailey: What work are you doing with the British Transport Police to tackle sexual assaults on the tube?

The Mayor: Tackling unwanted sexual behaviour on the transport network remains one of my priorities. Transport for London and the British Transport Police continue to work together as part of Project Guardian to increase confidence in reporting sexual offences to the police, challenge unwanted sexual behaviour and target offenders.
There are around 3,000 uniformed officers on the transport network working to keep Londoners safe as they travel in London. They carry out regular covert patrols on the network with plain clothes officers, which are focused on the areas which experience the most incidents, as well as regular days of action, which see uniformed officers stepping up patrols and engaging with commuters how to report unwanted sexual behaviour.

Pollution at bus stops (1)

Leonie Cooper: How can pollution exposure at bus stops be reduced?

The Mayor: Pollution from buses has already been significantly reduced by replacing older buses and retrofitting mid-life buses. Over 85 per cent of TfL buses are now the cleanest Euro VI standard or cleaner, and the remainder will be upgraded by the end of 2020. These greener buses emit up to 80 per cent less harmful NOx pollution.
Some of the new hybrid buses also have anti-idling technology which shuts off the engine automatically if the bus is stationary for longer than a minute.
TfL is introducing electric buses as quickly as is possible to cut pollution in all areas of London, including at bus stops.
Cleaning up the bus fleet will help reduce pollution exposure at bus stops, but we also need to tackle other road transport sources of harmful pollution. That is why I have introduced the Ultra Low Emission Zone in Central London and will expand it to the North and South Circular in October 2021. I am also investing to encourage more people to walk, cycle and use public transport instead of private cars.

ULEZ expansion

Leonie Cooper: Give the success of the central London ULEZ, a constituent has asked what modelling has been done of the impact if the expanded ULEZ only applied at the same hours as the existing Congestion Charge?

The Mayor: The central London ULEZ has been a great success, reducing NO2 concentrations in the ULEZ area by almost one third. The scheme is set to expand in October 2021, with the same hours of operation as the central London scheme, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Expansion of the ULEZ and strengthening of the London-wide Low Emission Zone is expected to further reduce NOx road transport emissions across the whole of London by at least 28 per cent.
Transport for London has not undertaken modelling for the expanded ULEZ with reduced hours of operation. This does not align with the scheme’s objectives, which aim to reduce emissions from road transport and encourage the take up of cleaner vehicles. Having an uncharged period of the day would reduce the effectiveness of the scheme.

Bus Routes serving Hospitals

Keith Prince: How many fewer bus journeys on routes serving hospitals are there today in comparison to 30th April 2016?

The Mayor: Over 300 bus routes serve within 150 metres of a hospital.
Transport for London uses the “operated mileage” metric to signify the amount of service operated. Since 2016, annual operated mileage on these routes has reduced by five per cent. This has better matched capacity to changing demand, as there has been a reduction in annual passenger demand of almost seven per cent on these routes in the same time period.

Freedom Pass

Caroline Pidgeon: TfL’s press release of 26th September 2019 stated that from 15th December 2019, Freedom Passes will be valid on TfL Rail services between West Drayton and Reading. Who is funding this extension to Freedom Pass validity and what is the cost?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) will fund Freedom Pass journeys between Slough and Reading on TfL Rail. London Councils will fund journeys as far as Slough under the current funding arrangements for the Freedom Pass. TfL expects the number of journeys beyond Slough made by Freedom Pass holders to be low.

Bluepoint sell off

Leonie Cooper: Given the difficulty assessing renewable energy usage by Bluepoint, who supply electric vehicle charge points in London, was it wrong for the previous Mayor to sell it off in 2014?

The Mayor: To fully decarbonise London, we will require careful but far reaching reforms, which are underpinned by high-level objectives including developing clean and smart, integratedenergy systems using local and renewable energy resources.
Transport for London (TfL) sold Source London in September 2014 and it has since been operated by Bluepoint London. In 2017, Bluepoint London became partnered with SSE Green Electricity. SSE Green Electricity state that their energy is 100 per centrenewable, generated by wind and hydro assets.
The availability of data for public authorities to undertake long-term planning around charge points and energy use is limited and it lacks consistency. The Government has committed to working with industry to make charge point data freely available and we will continue to hold it to account. Furthermore, as part of the London EV Infrastructure Delivery Plan, the GLA, with support from my EV Infrastructure Taskforce, are committed to working closely with London charge point operators on this issue.

Rapid charging points

Caroline Pidgeon: How many of the current rapid charging points that have been funded or part funded by TfL are currently in operation?

The Mayor: As of 6 November 2019, Transport for London (TfL) had installed 213 operational rapid charging points. Of these, 45 charge points have been part-funded by TfL, and 168 have been fully funded by TfL.
TfL only counts a rapid charging point as “installed” once it is live and operational.

Silvertown Road Tunnel and Greenwich Council

Caroline Russell: Greenwich Council’s lead group of councillors has sent you a letter requesting you pause the signing of the Silvertown Road Tunnel contract. What, if any, meetings have you had to discuss the alternative crossings Greenwich councillors are interested in, including further Docklands Light Railway links?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has been working closely with Greenwich Council and other stakeholders over a number of years to look at options to help facilitate growth in east London. In February 2019, TfL officers presented a number of potential rail extension options to Greenwich Council’s Scrutiny Committee, including an extension of the DLR to Thamesmead, and discussed the importance of new public transport connections in supporting the delivery of new homes and jobs in the Thamesmead & Abbey Wood Opportunity Area.
My Deputy Mayors for Transport and for Environment and Energy met with the Greenwich Labour Group in October to talk through the transport improvements in the borough, including the Silvertown Tunnel, and the potential DLR extension to Thamesmead.
To ensure we continue to work closely together on these plans, I have recently asked TfL and Greater London Authority (GLA) officers to set up a senior level strategic steering group with the boroughs (including Greenwich Council), developers and other stakeholders.

Tube dismissals

Keith Prince: For each of the years Nov 16 to Oct 17, Nov 17 to Oct 18 and Nov 18 to Oct 19, please can you state how many Tube drivers have been struck off? Please provide a breakdown by reason for dismissal.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is committed to building a positive working environment for all of its staff. Dismissals are an action of last resort. Any dismissal would usually follow the breach of formal written warnings and/or informal methods of resolution.
Please see below the information requested:

Transport Challenges

Gareth Bacon: What do you think the biggest challenges facing London’s transport system are, and how are you addressing them?

The Mayor: My Transport Strategy provides a comprehensive assessment of the challenges facing London’s transport system and how Transport for London (TfL) will work with partners to address them.
Given the lack of certainty of Government capital funding beyond 2020/21, TfL faces a real challenge in planning the pipeline of investment London requires to keep the city growing and succeeding. More people, jobs and investment have increased demand for travel. In 2000 the record number of passengers on the Tube was around 2.5 million a day: in 2018, we had several days where more than five million people used the Underground. We continue to make the case for long-term steady and sustained investment to ensure we can tackle overcrowding and that critical infrastructure projects can continue.
In spite of uncertainty with regard to future capital funding, we have planned a comprehensive investment programme to ensure our transport system can cope with those demands. This includes:
I have set a big vision for TfL, reflecting the major influence it can have on the places where people live, work, go to school, spend time and travel. TfL is working to reduce traffic dominance and encourage people to walk, cycle and use public transport. This will help Londoners lead more active, healthy lives and create a city that works for all its residents. TfL is working with London’s boroughs to realise our Vision Zero approach, making walking and cycling safer and the obvious choice for short journeys.
I have been clear that London ‘s filthy air is unacceptable and we need to take urgent action to address the climate change crisis. London’s transport network will play its part and enable individuals to make sustainable choices about how they travel. My Transport Strategy commits to making London’s transport network zero carbon. The Ultra Low Emission Zone has been a huge success, with 13,500 fewer pollutingvehicles now being driven into central London every day. I am leading the shift tozero-emission technologies with my London electric vehicle infrastructuredelivery plan. I want to push ahead with further electrification of London’s buses, already the largest electric fleet in Europe.